The blog of the Department of Sociology at the University of Surrey

By Nigel Gilbert The 2008 Climate Change Act committed the UK to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80 per cent compared to 1990 levels by the year 2050. This is a very ambitious target, and if achieved will change our world in many ways, some of them unexpected. For example, the majority […]

By Nicola Green The ongoing fallout from the phone hacking scandal in the UK is a gift that keeps on giving for media sociologists. The 24th of June saw (some initial) verdicts in the trials of several senior editors and managers of media organisations on charges of conspiracy – conspiring to intercept communications, conspiring to […]

By Rachel Brooks A cursory glance at the website or prospectus of most British universities will reveal the important place ‘international agendas’ occupy within contemporary higher education. Universities are typically keen to demonstrate: their close links with overseas institutions; the international composition of their student body; opportunities for overseas study and work placements; and, sometimes, […]

By Sarah Earthy Look for a card for someone who is ill or has had an operation and the likelihood is that the message on the front will read ‘Get well soon’, perhaps followed by ‘Wishing you a speedy recovery’ inside. A stereotypical accompanying image might be a cartoon of a patient, probably male, sitting […]

By Jon Garland and Paul Hodkinson Claire describes being approached and questioned about her goth appearance by a group of young people and, after the interrogation turned more aggressive, finding herself on the receiving end of a thrown bottle. Eleanor explains that she became afraid to go into town on her own because of a series […]

By Robert Meadows The BBC NEWS website recently carried a story on couples’ sleep. Research, we were told, had found that happy couples sleep nearer to each other than unhappy couples. As the article put it: “Partners who sleep less than an inch apart were more likely to be happy with their relationship than those […]